Numerous gel compositions are known in the art. Gel compositions have proven to be useful in a wide variety of applications, such as in cosmetic, health and beauty, home care, and industrial applications.
Gel compositions have been used in a variety of cosmetic and health and beauty applications. Some gel compositions have proven to be convenient and efficient vehicles or carriers for the application of various active ingredients to the skin. Such active ingredients include sunscreens, antiperspirants, deodorants, perfumes, cosmetics, emollients, insect repellants, medicaments, and the like. Cosmetic and health and beauty products incorporating a gel composition and those made entirely from a gel composition may be in the form of a liquid, soft gel, semi-solid, or solid. Rubbing a liquid, soft gel, semi-solid, or solid containing an effective amount of an active ingredient dissolved or dispersed therein against the skin causes transfer of the gel composition to the skin surface in a layer form, leaving the active ingredient within the layer on the desired skin surface.
For cosmetic and health and beauty applications, a gel composition preferably should have one or more of the following desired properties: transparency, compatibility with an active ingredient, controlled release of an active ingredient, minimization of skin irritation, and the ability to suspend organic and inorganic materials such as colored pigments, glitters, water, air, metal oxides, sunscreen active particulates, and fragrances. For example, in sunscreen applications, it is desirable if the gel itself can act as a sunscreen active ingredient while in a cosmetic application, it is desirable if the gel can provide suspension and controlled release properties. Moreover, a gel composition used in cosmetic and health and beauty applications should moisturize the skin and exhibit water wash-off resistance but should not have significant syneresis.
Gel compositions have also been used in a variety of home care applications. For home care applications, a gel composition should preferably offer one or one or more of the following desired properties: transparency, compatibility with an active ingredient, controlled release of an active ingredient, and the ability to suspend organic and inorganic materials, such as colored pigments, glitters, water, air, metal oxides, fragrances, and the like. For example, in air freshener applications, the properties that are important are controlled release and viscosity.
In addition, gel compositions have been used in a variety of industrial applications. For industrial applications, a gel composition should preferably offer one or one or more of the following desired properties: suspension, moisture barrier, rheology, control of rheology, solvency, controlled release of an active or volatile ingredient, wetting, self-emulsifying, transparency, compatibility with an active ingredient, and the like. For example, in the paint industry, the properties that are important are suspension and controlled release while the properties that are important are suspension and the control of rheology with explosive emulsions.
A gel composition is typically made by mixing one or more compounds to be gelled with a gelling agent. When a gel composition is then combined with or loaded with a relatively low viscosity solvent, it is expected that the resulting gel composition will have a viscosity which is lower than the viscosity of the original gel composition. However, in many cosmetic, health and beauty, home care, and industrial applications, it may be desirable to load or combine a gel composition with a solvent to produce a resulting gel composition having an increased viscosity.
For example, in drilling applications, oil needs to be suspended and pumped to the surface. It is desirable to be able to increase the viscosity of gel compositions used in a drilling application because a gel composition with a low viscosity may not be able to suspend the oil. Also, in explosive emulsion applications, it is desirable to be able to increase the viscosity of gel compositions used in the explosive emulsion because a gel composition with a low viscosity may not be able to hold in the gas and avoid detonation. Also by way of example, in the drilling, formation, and treatment of subterranean formations such as wells, it is often desirable or necessary that the gel compositions have a relatively low initial viscosity and an increased viscosity once placed in the well bore or subterranean formation to be treated.
Hence, there exists a need for exploring methods of increasing the viscosity of gel compositions when combined with low viscosity solvents. Gel compositions, containing esters, ethers, alcohols, and vegetable oils are less common than gelled mineral oils or gelled hydrocarbons. Hence, there also exists a need for exploring methods of increasing the viscosity of gelled ester, gelled ether, gelled alcohol, and gelled naturally-occurring fat and oil compositions.